Foot massager



C. D. RIB LET FOOT MASSAGER July 3, 1956 Filed Jan. 19, 1955 ,2 3INVENTOR z'fiZ e t ATTORNEY FOUT MASSAGER Clifford D. Riblet, Gallon,Ohio Application January 19, 1955, Serial No. 482,812

6 Claims. (Cl. 128-57) This invention relates to a novel device for usein massaging the foot which is so constructed that no injury will becaused to the bones or muscles of the foot by the use of the massager.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide a massagerwhich can be placed upon the floor for use by a person while in a seatedposition and which is so constructed that a maximum degree of comfortwill be afforded to the user due to the unique configuration of themassager.

A further object of the invention is to provide a massager the onlymoving parts of which are actuated by contact of the foot therewith.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a massager includinga rotatably mounted element which is engaged and rotated by contact ofthe sole of the foot therewith and which is so arranged relatively to asupporting structure thereof, to encourage application of a considerablepressure by the foot on said rotatable mounted part in order to effectmovement of the foot relatively to the massager to thus obtain a veryeffective massaging action.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing,illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein;

Figure l is a top plan view of the foot massager;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof on a reduced scalerelative to Figure l, and taken substanw tially along a plane asindicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and t Figure 3 is a crosssectional View of the massager, taken substantially along a plane asindicated by the line 33 of Figure 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the foot massager in itsentirety is designated generally 5 and includes a body portion or base,designated generally 6, which may be formed of any suitable materialsuch as certain metals or wood. The body portion or base 6 is preferablysolid in order to be of sufficient weight to maintain a position inwhich it is placed, while the massager is in use. The base 6 iselongated, as illustrated in Figure 1, is relatively wide, and is ofsubstantial vertical thickness, as seen in Figures 2 and 3. The base 6has a substantially flat bottom surface 7 of substantial area bothlengthwise and crosswise thereof, to which is preferably secured aplurality of spaced pads {l of any suitable non-marring material, suchas felt or rubber, and on which the foot massager 5 rests when supportedin a normal manner, for example illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, with thepads 8 bearing on a horizontal supporting surface 9, such as the floor.

The base 6 has end portions extending beyond the ends of the bottomsurface 7 thereof, including a forward end portion 10 and a rear endportion 11. Said base or body portion 6 has a top surface 12 which isconvexly bowed longitudinally from end-to-end thereof. Said top surface12 is also inclined downwardly from near the fornited States Patent 0 2ward end 10 to the rear end 11. with a recess or depression 13 ofsubstantial size which opens outwardly of the top surface 12,substantially midway of the side edges thereof, as seen in Figures 1 and3, and which is disposed substantially nearer the forward end 10 thanthe rear end 11 of the base 6, as seen in Figures 1 and 2. Accordingly,as seen in Figure 2, the part of the top surface 12 located between thedepression 13 and the rear end 11 and designated 12a, is disposed belowthe level of the forward part of the top surface 12, designated 12]),which is disposed between the forward end 10 and said depression 13.Furthermore, the rear end of the top surface part 12a is locatedsubstantially below the level of the front top surface portion 1212, asseen in Figure 2.

A substantial part of a ball or sphere 14 is disposed within thedepression or recess 13. Said ball or sphere 14 is provided with adiametrical bore 15 through which extends a shaft or axle 16. The endsof the shaft or axle 16 are preferably journalled in bushings 1'7 and18. The bushing 17 is disposed in the inner end of a bore 19 which opensinto the recess 13 and outwardly of a side wall 20 of the base 6. Thebushing 18 is disposed in the enlarged inner end 21 of a bore whichopens into the recess 13 and which has a restricted outer portion 22opening outwardly through the other side wall 23 of the base 6. Theouter end of the bore 1? is closed by a plug 24 and the bore portion 22is closed by a plug 25 of smaller diameter than the plug 24. The shaft16 is driven through the bore 15 while the sphere id is disposed with amajor portion thereof in the recess 13, after being first driven throughthe bore llland the bushing 17 contained therein and with the leadingend of the shaft 16 thereafter being advanced into the bushing 18. Thisis accomplished with the plug 25 in place and the plug 24 removed. Forremoving the shaft. 16 and sphere 14, both plugs arelremoved and apointed instrument is inserted through the bore portion 22 for drivingthe shaft 16 outwardly through the bore 19; Any other suitable means maybe provided for applying a ball 14 and shaft 16 to the base 6 and formounting the ball or sphere 14 for rotation in the recess 13.

As seen in Figures 2 and 3, the sphere 14 is supported by the shaft oraxle 16 spaced from and out of contact with the base portion surroundingand defining the recess 13 for free rotation of the ball or sphererelatively to the base. The shaft or axle 16 is disposed beneath andadjacent the level of the paft of the top surface 12 which is disposedimmediately above the ends of said axle so that while a major portion ofthe sphere 14 is contained in the recess 13, the minor part thereofwhich is disposed above the level of the surface 12 is of considerableproportion, as seen in Figures 2 and 3. it will also be noted that theopen top part of the recess 13 located adjacent therear top surfaceportion 12a is disposed below the level of the open top part of therecess 13 which is disposed adjacent the front top surface por tion121;, so that a greater portion of the sphere 14 is exposed adjacent therear top surface part 12a than adjacent the front top surface part 12b.The ball or sphere 14 is preferably formed of relatively solid or firmsponge rubber.

The user preferably assumes a seated position when using the massager 5.The massager 5 is placed upon the floor 9, as best illustrated in Figure2 and as pre viously described, in front of the seated position of theuser and with the rear end 11 nearest the user. Either foot F, fromwhich the shoe has been removed, can then be placed on the massager 5and longitudinally thereof with the heel H of the foot disposed above orresting on the rear top surface portion 12a and with either the ball Bof the foot or the instep l engaging; on the upper The base 6 isprovided part of the sphere 14. The position of the foot F as seen inFigure 2 may be assumed as an initial or starting position in using themassager 5. It will be noted that the heel H is disposed substantiallybelow the level of the forward part of the foot, made possible by thefact that the top portion 12a is disposed below the level of the topportion 12b of the base 6. Accordingly, as the foot F is moved forwardlyof the massager 5 from right to left as seen in Figure 2, the foot mustbe moved in an upward direction thus causing considerable pressure to beexerted by the ball B and thereafter by the instep I on the upper partof the sphere 14 in moving the foot forward relative to the top surface12. This results in substantial pressure being exerted by the undersideof the foot against the upper part of the sphere 14 in this forwardmovement of the foot so that the sphere 14 by a lengthwise rollingengagement with the sole of the foot will accomplish a very effectivemassaging action. As more of the sphere 14 is exposed adjacent the topportion 120, than adjacent the top portion 1.211, as the foot is movedforwardly from its positionof Figure 2, a substantial area or part ofthe instep I will be simultaneously engaged and massaged by the exposedpart of the sphere 14 which is located adjacent the top surface portion12a, to thus effect a massaging action which will penetrate to aconsiderable depth relative to the foot. The sphere 14 is also locatednearer the forward end v of the base than the rear end 11, so that withthe instep I resting on the upper part of the sphere 14 and with thehell H out of contact with the rear top surface portion 12a, the footmay be rocked in an up and down motion for efiectively treating fallenarches and with the forward part of the foot moving up and down abovethe top surface portion 12b and the heel moving up and down above therear top surface portion 12a. This action is readily accomplished due tothe fact that the forward top surface portion 12b is of a relativelyshort length so that the forward end of the foot F can be disposedforwardly thereof and will not strike the surface portion 12b during itsdownward swinging movement. Thus, either a back and forth lengthwisemovement of the foot over the sphere 14 or an up and down rockingmovement, or a combination of such movements may be utilized inmassaging either foot.

The sphere 14 when thus utilized will effectively massage the footmuscles for increasing the circulation of blood through the foot and forrelieving aches and pains. The sphere 14 is formed of firm sponge rubberwhich will not cause injury to the bones or muscles of the feet, yetwhich is sufiiciently solid to accomplish the desired massaging action.It will be apparent that the massager 5 may be conveniently used whilein a seated position reading, working or otherwise occupied.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionas hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A foot massager comprising a base adapted to rest on a horizontalsupporting surface, said base being elongated and including a foward endand a rear end and having a top surface convexly bowed longitudinallyfrom end to end of the base and of a length greater than the length of ahuman foot, said base having a depression opening outwardly of the topsurface and spaced from the ends thereof, said top surface being smoothexcept for said depression and including a rear portion extending fromthe depression to the rear end of the base and which is inclineddownwardly to a greater extent than a forward portion of said topsurface which is disposed between the depression and the forward end ofthe base, said rear portion being disposed below the level of theforward portion, and a spherical member rotatably mounted in saiddepression and having a part disposed above said top surface and adaptedto be en gagged by the underside of a foot'to be massaged, saidrearportion of the top surface providing a heel rest adapted to be slidablyengaged by the heel of the foot.

2. A foot massager as in claim 1, a shaft extending diametricallythrough said spherical member and journalled in portions of the base,said shaft extending through said depression, beneath and adjacent thetop surface of the base and being disposed transversely of the base.

3. A foot massager as in claim 2, said spherical member being supportedfor free rotation in said depression by said shaft, and said sphericalmember being formed of relatively firm sponge rubber.

4. A foot massager as in claim 1, means supporting said spherical memberfor free rotation within said depression and about an axis disposedtransversely of the base, the rear portion of said top surface slopingdownwardly and away from the spherical member to a substantially greaterextent than the forward portion of said top surface.

5. A foot massager as in claim 4, said forward portion of the topsurface of the base being of a length substantially less than the lengthof the rear portion of the top surface of the base.

6; A foot massager as in claim 1, said depression and spherical memberbeing disposed substantially nearer the forward end than the rear end ofthe base, and means supporting said spherical member for free rotationin said depression about an axis disposed transversely of the base, theopen top of said depression being inclined downwardly and rearwardlyrelatively to said base whereby a greater part of a rear half of thespherical member than the forward half thereof is disposed in an exposedpostion above said top surface of the base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,780,479 Grifiith Nov. 4, 1930 2,168,842 Kesteven Aug. 8, 19392,223,263 Michaelson Nov. 26, 1940 2,534,412 Burnett Dec. 19, 1950

